SAMA29 Joins Forces With Africa Fest

In what is hailed as a show of unity by the music industry, the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) is proud to announce that SAMA29 will be hosted in collaboration with Africa Fest.

SAMA29 will be staged on 18 November 2023 at the SunBet Arena at Time Square, Menlyn Maine. The red carpet kicks off at 16:00 followed by the non-broadcast awards. The broadcast section will be beamed live from the Arena on SABC1 from 20:00. The after-party courtesy of Africa Fest will commence at the end of the show.

After a few days of uncertainty sparked by the sudden withdrawal of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) of KwaZulu-Natal a new home for the prestigious music awards has been secured and music fans can heave a euphoric sigh of relief.

Africa Fest is billed as the most spectacular African concert experience South Africa has ever seen and will feature some of the best Amapiano artists and top talent such as Kabza De Small, Makhadzi, DBN Gogo, Samthing Soweto, Kamo Mphela, Pabi Cooper, Nkosazana Daughter; Uncle Waffles; Mas MusiQ; Sam Deep; DJ Stokie and Lesego M. The festival is a celebration of African talent, culture and the unifying power of music.

Arnold Coleske of Africa Fest celebrated the partnership with the SAMA: “We are delighted to be working with SAMA29 as part of the Africa Fest inaugural offering. When RiSA approached us for this collaboration we saw it as an opportunity for the industry to work together. Our dealings with each other have been seamless, we found a lot of common ground and synergies. This is a big win for South African music.”

“It took some nifty footwork and agility to ensure that SAMA29 is saved and staged on the set date”, said an elated Nhlanhla Sibisi, CEO of RiSA. “We are humbled by the receptive and sympathetic nature of our partners at Africa Fest who showed that the industry can be stronger when we are together.

“This is a display of the Sesotho adage kopano ke matla (unity is strength). They have generously accommodated our programme and will be assisting in ensuring that the awards run as smoothly as possible with the highest production values befitting the calibre of our musicians. I have no doubt that it will be a memorable one.”